Typically, in generating a replica of a key, a user possesses the key and has access to a typical key replicating device that is able to reproduce the key. However, possessing the key for a sufficient amount of time to replicate the key using typical methods that require the user to be in possession of the key may not be a feasible option in certain situations. For example, the user may not have sufficient time to be in possession of the key so that the user may replicate the key using the typical key replicating device. Typical methods also require substantial training of the user so that the user can accurately replicate the key. For example, capturing a clay mold of the key and then measuring the clay mold accurately so that the key can be adequately replicated from the clay mold measurements requires substantial training of the user and is not a trivial process.
However, the user may be in possession of the key long enough to capture an image of the key and then attempt to replicate the key based on the image of the key. Typical key replicating devices require a key manufacturer bitting number to be entered into the device to adequately replicate the key. The key manufacturer bitting number corresponds to a depth of each cut in the manufacturer's key. Other typical key replicating devices can replicate the key based on measurements taken for each depth of each cut in the manufacturer's key. However, simply entering manually obtained measurements from the image of the key into the typical key replicating device hinders the ability of the typical key replicating device to generate an adequate replica of the key. Approximating a manufacturer bitting number for the key may generate a more accurate replica of the key as compared to generating the replica from measurements. For example, the user measures a 0.230″ depth for a cut in the key. However, the bitting number for the same cut in the key is a “4” that corresponds to a 0.237″ depth for the same cut in the key. Thus, providing the bitting number to the typical key replicating devices provides a 0.007″ more accurate cut in the key than providing inaccurate measurements to the typical key replicating device. Poor resolution in the image along with inaccuracies in the manually obtained measurements further hinders the ability of the device to adequately replicate the key.